It's not time yet, but KC Royals inch closer to panic mode after another series loss

While losing a series isn't anything new of late for the Kansas City Royals - having lost eight of their last 10 series, there was something about this recent Yankees series that just seemed different. And it's more than just the fact that this was the first sweep they'd endured since they last played the Yankees from April 14-16.

Sure, the offense didn't show up again this week, what else new. This time though, every aspect of their game seemed less sharp than normal.

Now, at 34-35 the sky isn't falling, we're not on red alert and we can keep the lid on the panic button, as there's still plenty of baseball to play for a team that's only 2.5 games out of a Wild Card spot and more than capable on paper of being better than they have been in the first half. That being said, this seems to be the closest that the Royals have been to entering that dreaded panic mode in 2025.

KC Royals inch closer to panic mode after yet another series loss

Let's start with the offense, because at this point it's easier for the Royals faithful to palate something that they've had to deal with for the entirety of the season already.

The Royals already entered this series as a bottom five team in terms of run production, averaging just 3.42 runs per game as of Monday.

So a two-run showing in Tuesday's beatdown, a three-run showing - via a three-run ninth inning - in Wednesday 6-3 loss and then shutout loss on Thursday certainly didn't instill confidence that the Royals had made a lasting change at the plate.

Then we move to arguably the most concerning take away from this series, which is how human their out of this world breakout sensations in Noah Cameron and Kris Bubic looked.

Cameron entered this series on the back of a stellar opening five-start stretch to his major league career, pitching to the tune of a 0.85 ERA and 0.78 WHIP, with each of those five appearances seeing the young southpaw going at least six innings of one run ball or better.

But Tuesday night was as clear of a reality check as you can get, as Aaron Judge and his band of big boppers in that Yankees lineup tagged the rookie for six earned runs in 5.2 innings of work.

Then came the poster boy for 2025 big league breakouts. Bubic entered this series as a legitimate Cy Young threat, throwing to a 1.43 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in his first 12 starts.

And while Wednesday night’s five run blow up may not have been his first blow up - as an April 27 four run outing across five innings against the Houston Astros was nothing to write home about - but it did mark the first time he failed to go at least five innings in a start this season.

Luckily for the sake of this rotation, Seth Lugo bounced back with 5.2 shutout innings on Thursday to help this starting staff save face.

Now, Bubic at a 1.92 ERA and Cameron at a 2.17 ERA is certainly nothing to scoff at, and it's not as if their seasons are all but over after one bad start each, but it does constitute a bit of a stark deviation from the norm that Royals fans had become all but accustomed to when they took the mound.

At the end of the day, losing a series with two dreadful performances from a pair of their most trusted arms isn't par for the course for them this season.

Then there was the bullpen, that's done a lot to rebound from some early season struggles and if we're being honest, wasn't bad for the most part this series. However, there were a few things that stood out as clear negatives that could be a bit of a cause for concern

In just 1/3 of an inning on Tuesday, Taylor Clarke undid a lot of his stellar progress this season, surrendering four earned runs on five hits. For context, Clarke entered this series having surrendered just two earned runs and five hits in his 12 outings before this series combined.

Then the Royals ran into yet another situation where their veteran depth simply wasn't at an acceptable Major League standard, as a three-hit outing for Trevor Richards in his third consecutive lackluster appearance with the team resulted in his swift DFA, following in the footsteps of fellow veteran Chris Stratton.

Then Thursday, it was the usually reliable Lucas Erceg who in his return from the IL was tagged with the loss after a rough eighth inning scratched the games only run across the board.

It may seem harsh - and possibly as if it’s grasping at straws - to criticize their bullpen when so many of their other options held down the fort amidst the struggles around them.

However, with a bullpen that's experienced its fair share a big injury blows and underperformance so far, these are the types of things that need to be placed under a microscope, especially for a team that has the flaws the Royals do and who are simultaneously trying to desperately remain in postseason contention.

Again, there are still plenty of silver linings in all facets of this Royals team that should lead Royals fans to believe that there's still more than enough hope for them to turn it around down the stretch.

They still have a great core of hitters with Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino and Co., a top-end rotation led by Seth Lugo and Kris Bubic this season, and a top half bullpen with the likes of Lucas Erceg and Carlos Estévez anchoring them.

All that to say, they need to use this latest series loss as a wake up call that mediocre baseball will only see them slip further in the standings.

At some point something has to change or they'll end up squandering a prime year with this competitive core.